Emanuel won’t rule out property tax hike to fill CPS budget hole

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

Chicago homeowners and businesses have grown accustomed to up-to-the-limit school property tax increases, but they might be forced to endure even more pain to bail the Chicago Public Schools out of a $1 billion shortfall. On Tuesday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel refused to rule out a worst-case scenario that his handpicked school team has already discussed with legislative leaders: asking the Illinois General Assembly to lift the property tax cap to pave the way for an even bigger increase than would otherwise be allowed. Emanuel said he would turn first to yet another round of administrative cuts, now that the Legislature has adjourned without easing pension payments bearing down on CPS. But, after that, he’s making no promises to steer clear of a property tax increase, which many view as the third-rail of politics.

The great moments of Blue America! Bad public schools and high taxes: the winning combination in a one party regime.